Tmj

[Mamatired]

Does anyone else have Tmj? What do you do to relieve the pain?

[alfreddy7]

My ENT told me I had TMJ He gave me muscle relaxers and told me just to take Advil.Not to chew anything hard.

I get headache and throat pain from it in the same side.

Also try to put heat on it

[Hidden in reply to alfreddy7]

I have TMJ and Advil is what I take. I also have a mouthguard that the dentist made for me. My TMJ is caused by night time teeth grinding,( thanks anxiety.) You can look up exercises and massage for TMJ. Also, warm compress on the achy jaw helps a lot.

Eating soft foods when you have a flare-up is a must, chewing raw veggies like carrot sticks is a big no-no.

[Mamatired in reply to Hidden]

I’m sorry to hear about that. Does it last long for you or does it come and go

[Hidden in reply to Mamatired]

Hi, Mamatired, it comes and goes for the most part. Some mornings I will wake up and my jaw, on the right side, will be very sore and when I chew, there will often be a clicking sound. This means a flare-up.

What I do then is massage the jaw and apply a warm compress, then take an Advil for the inflammation. It can last for several days and then fade away for another several days. It is a combination of teeth grinding and perhaps chewing, such as peanuts, raw veggies or apples, etc.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Bruxism is usually due to a B6 deficiency.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I didn't know this, Jomico. Thank-you for bringing it to my attention. B6? Where do you naturally obtain vitamin B6?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

EBAY/AMAZON...I would also look at magnesium...this mineral makes muscles relax...it is the opposite to calcium which causes cramps and tension.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I see. Thanks so much, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post. I haven't had a flare-up in a while, fingers crossed, so it may be a good time to pick up the B6 and magnesium. Perhaps there are some food sources, also, which is something I would be interested in.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sometimes supplements are better....a woman needs 350mg of magnesium a day...which is about 20 cups of spinach...or one capsule.Heres a link that may help you understand why i am talking about this from a Doctor who has a regular radio slot ....read her articles...or listen to her podcasts

drcarolyndeanlive.com

Hope you find relief real soon.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

So very nice of you, Jomico, thank-you for the link. 🌼

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

You are most welcome...💐

[san_ray70 in reply to Hidden]

I have been taking calcium for the last 15 years, I did not know this. If I was not on calcium I would easily break a bone, so far although in my life I have had a few bad falls, never actually broken anything.

[Funkyfaerie in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for that I will try it.

[Mamatired in reply to alfreddy7]

Thank you

[Funkyfaerie]

Hi,Suffered badly for years, clench at night, teeth actually hurt, head, neck and shoulder pain, tired watery eyes, tight scalp, which made my hair awful, sounds crazy I know.

Had mouth guards, not much help, pain killers useless, just kept going... Until I stopped biting my finger nails.. My dentist said it puts pressure on the muscles in the wrong way, and I had bitten my finger nails for years... Well the difference has been incredible, not totally gone, but so much better.

I know not everyone bites their nails, but the dentist said to think about any little habits you might have, biting pen tops for instance. Anyway thought I might tell you this.

I'm definitely going to try the B6 though!

Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to Funkyfaerie]

Please investigate magnesium too...they go hand in hand.

[Funkyfaerie in reply to Hidden]

Tiny bit nervous of magnesium, as upsets my stomach after a while.Different subject, but years ago after my first and second babies I got very bad post natal depression. With my third pregnancy my doctor put me on 20mg at 6 months pregnant and for a year afterwards, I was absolutely on a High after having my baby, I mean that in a good way, no depression at all!!

So I know that supplements can help.

[Mamatired in reply to Hidden]

That is interesting. I will look into this.

[Decode]

I have severe migraines which has caused bruxism and tmj. For temporary relief you could get ibuprofen gel and apply it to your jaw joints. A cooling mask can help sometimes. I now have a mouth guard for nighttime for bruxism. Hope that helps. Feel better soon.

[PurpleSynesthesia]

Hiya,

I had this in the past but aside from that, I do have some experience from when I was working in the dental profession.

There are some good painkilling suggestions already here, I'd like to add a couple more, if that's OK?

1) Try hot-cold therapy. Might sound strange, but alternate between an ice pack & a hot water bottle. The ice will help to reduce inflammation & the heat will help stimulate blood flow, thus providing fresh oxygen to the area to aid with recovery speed. 20 minutes with the ice then 20 minutes with the heat.

2) Sit at a table, place your elbows on the table & rest your chin in the palms of your hands (kinda like you're bored in class 😉). Use your lower jaw to push hard against your hands, like you're trying to open your mouth. Hold for 5 seconds. This counteracts the muscle strain caused by TMJ disfunction. This exercise can help when you're actually feeling pain and also be done several times throughout the day to generally help your muscles.

In general, check if you have any mouthing habits - chewing pens, biting nails, chewing your cheeks /lips, jaw clenching, that put your jaw into an unnatural alignment. Even sleeping on your front can affect your jaw, so a softer pillow can help there.

I've seen nightguards mentioned on here & they can be very helpful if you clench or grind your teeth at night. If you've already tried that, there is a step further called a "Michigan Splint," which is more specialised & solid resin in form. Your dentist would need to custom mould this for you & they can be quite pricey.

Hope that's helpful & hope you feel better soon.

[Funkyfaerie in reply to PurpleSynesthesia]

I've tried every single thing you mentioned on here and nothing helped at all apart from stopping biting my nails. It was hard, but I needed to know....The difference has been pretty amazing, I would say 80% better, just the residual clenching at night needs sorting now, going to try the B6....

[PurpleSynesthesia in reply to Funkyfaerie]

Amazing how easy it is to stress our bodies isn't it? So glad you found an answer.If you want to increase vitamin B6, be aware that alcohol can have a negative effect on the levels in your body - not usually an issue unless you're prone to heavy drinking, but useful to know.

[Hidden in reply to PurpleSynesthesia]

Thank-you for this information, PurpleSynesthesia, it is so helpful.

[Gentlespirit]

Is it TMJ or TMD? For TMJ a mouth guard at night will help. Try not to use your jaw too much because extra chewing and what you eat Will cause pain. TMD its progressing and its just one more chronic pain to deal with on a daily basis.

[Gentlespirit]

My body does not tolerate muscle relaxers at all so I rely on natural as a help like heat tea with honey pain ointment patches and what my doctor prescribes.. Taking naps helps sometimes. My body is just worn out and tired. Doing day to day tasks is enough and that can be very challenging too at times.

[Mamatired in reply to Gentlespirit]

I hear you. The work day is enough for me and I just want to sleep and relax when I get home.

[Mamatired]

Has anyone tried muscle relaxers?? The reason why I ask is because I’m scared to try it

[Hidden in reply to Mamatired]

What are muscle relaxers? I am not sure what you would look for, as in the actual name of a muscle relaxer.